NEWCASTLE United star Joey Barton has been jailed for six months after admitting charges of assault and affray.

Barton, 25, of Foxbank Road, Widnes, was caught on CCTV knocking an unidentified man to the ground.

He then straddled the man, and punched him four or five times as his cousin threw food at the victim before Barton punched him up to 15 times more.

Minutes later, the player attacked a 16-year-old, punching him and leaving him with broken teeth.

It followed a series of verbal confrontations inside a McDonalds restaurant after a night out during which he had consumed 10 pints of lager and five bottles of lager.

Barton's cousin, Nadine Wilson, 27, of Childwall, Liverpool, and his brother Andrew Barton, 20, also of Foxbank Road, Widnes, also pleaded guilty to their part in the assaults.

The incident took place as the player was awaiting trial for two other offences: alleged criminal damage of a taxi and the alleged assault of former Manchester City teammate Ousmane Dabo, 31, who now plays for Lazio.

The hearing heard that the footballer was remorseful about the incident and had admitted to an alcohol problem.

Judge Globe told him: "Without doubt, the most serious of the three offenders is you.

"You were restrained by others but ignored them and acted in an extremely violent and aggressive manner.

"It also happened at a time when you were on bail for two other matters. If ever there was a time when you should be on your best behaviour, it was then.

"You have a high profile as a footballer and you know that draws attention to you. Yet you drank to excess and behaved in an aggressive, disgraceful manner."

The judge jailed Barton for six months for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and four months, concurrently, for affray.

He was ordered to pay 2,500 to Jordan Spencer, the youth whose teeth were broken.

As he was taken down, Barton kissed Wilson on the cheek and shook his brothers hand.

He then stopped to hand over pieces of jewellery to a man in the public gallery.

11:25am Tuesday 20th May 2008

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